One of Chad's own photos of him and Dan from the tippy top of Mt. Russell, Sierra Nevada.

Probably laughing at some horrendously dirty "your mom" joke on the top of Mt. Fairview. There was a wedding happening on the summit at the very same time. They probably didn't appreciate our crass sense of humour. But we sure were having a good bunch of laughs.

Descending from Mt. Fairview I saw this stream of water suddenly appear from the granite. I called Dan over and asked him what was going on. Was water miraculously bubbling forth from the rock? Dan assured me that was NOT what was happening, but rather, I was witnessing for the first time the evidence that apparently Chad can pee while walking? I mean we were all having a conversation on the way down. Wow!

After climbing Mt. Fairview we all made a "love" stop and took some time to call our respective lovers. Here's Chad on the phone with Mandy.

We had to make a run for the cover of a boulder after encountering a little summer storm on an acclimatization hike in the High Sierra. That is a very smiley face in there Chad!

For someone who's so darn fit, Chad sure knows how to laze about...

OK, time for a nap.

Like Colin, Chad travels everywhere with a fishing scale. He made me take a photo of the weight of his rope for future reference.

Chad and Dan photo-bomb me from the summit of Mt. Russell. Hehehehe...

Dan and Chad getting stoked as they prepare for what will become a 21 hr. ascent of the Regular Route on Half Dome.

Chad. So stoked!

Another smiley face just popped up out of no where?

Chad, what a great, great smile.

Hehehe, not stoked.

Stoked. The team on Tenaya Peak.

I'll finish off with my favourite photo. Chad showing us where to go. When I joined him, Dan, and Steph on this trip, I was a little bit nervous about how I would measure up. He'd just been attempting the speed record on Mt. Everest, how on earth was I going to keep up to this person? But, in the most lovely way, Chad would just trot along at a speed no faster than the rest of us. He wasn't racing at all, he was just having a good ol' adventure in the mountains with some buddies. That was it. I learnt a lot from him on that trip, the secret of the CamelBak filled with fruit juice and protein powder, and a few really gross "your mom" jokes come to mind. But mostly I learned that Chad was the kindest soul.

I'm going to include a poem below that someone else already posted on Chad's Facebook page. But, I think the words included within need to be shared again...

Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room.Nothing has happened.Everything remains exactly as it was.I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.Call me by the old familiar name.Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.Put no difference into your tone.Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.Life means all that it ever meant.It is the same as it ever was.There is absolute and unbroken continuity.What is this death but a negligible accident?Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner.All is well.Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.One brief moment and all will be as it was before.How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

With world domination in my sight, I'm taking my presentation skills to the next level. Yours truly will be presenting at this years FEAT Canada event.

What is FEAT?

Well, Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks (FEAT), is an annual evening of time-limited presentations. Each presenter speaks for seven minutes; no more, no less. It's the TED Talks of the outdoor adventure community.

I'm following in the footsteps of my hero Lena Rowat, who presented at last years event. The event takes place Mar. 7, 2014, 7:30 pm at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver. Here's a link the FEAT website, and my bio. And below, a video of Lena's presentation.

Huh, I didn't know that our presentations will be videoed and then posted to the whole-wide-world on YouTube? Great, so I'm going to be ale to relive my own train wreck again, and again, and again. Ha! Hope to see some of you there.

Monday, 10 February 2014

It's the new, the improved, the business savvy, Sarah Leanne Hart, Sales Representative at Sasso Vertical Sales. That's right everyone, I have a job! And not just any job, I'm going to be working for a sales agency that represents Black Diamond Equip., prAna, FiveTen Footwear, Gregory Packs, and MAXIM ropes in the western provinces and territories of Canada.

This past summer while Colin and I were fully immersed in sport climbing, and eating, my buddy Katy told me about Dale, the owner of Sasso Vertical Sales, based out of Canmore, Alberta. "Dale is looking for a female climber-type who likes clothes to become his primary prAna rep. in British Columbia", she told me. At the time, my mind was anywhere but work, so I brushed off the idea. But, as my January 2014, "the bank account will run dry" deadline approached, Dale's name came up again. Apparently, he'd still not found a suitable clothes savvy woman to represent prAna. Fate was calling!

Long storey short, our worlds collided serendipitously and by late January I'd signed a contract to become the fourth member of the Sasso team. As luck would have it, Sasso had also just purchased a building in Squamish and by the end of February will be opening it's Squamish office, where myself, and Canadian climbing icon, Scott Milton, also a member of the Sasso team, will be working.

That's right people, I'll be working with Scott Milton! For the non-climbers, this will seem like a ridiculous thing to get excited about, but for us climbers, meeting Scott, let alone working right beside him, is a lifetime achievement! Scott is one of the most influential sport climbers to come out of Canada, ever.

I found this on the internet. Huh, apparently Scott has a good sense of humour!

And, better still here's one of my all time favourite bouldering movies, Rocklands. Scott is featured, along with probably the greatest boulderer the world has ever known, and my personal hero, Fred Nicole. In another turn of fate, I had the privilege of meeting Fred for the first time in Patagonia this season. Fred has been a prAna athlete for many years, and his partner Mary is in fact, a rep. for prAna in Europe! Amazing! Yes, this video is 45 mins. long, but if you need a way to pass some time, then watch the whole thing. It's very good, I promise!

At the beginning of February I travelled to Canmore to spend some time with Dale, and meet the other Sasso rep., Jeff. It was awesome to familiarize myself with the gear and clothing I'll be working with, and to get to know Jeff, and Dale and his family, better.

All told, I'm feeling more than a little chuffed with myself for landing such a sweet job. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I've got two passions in life, climbing, and CLOTHES! I love clothes, and the opportunity to represent prAna in British Columbia is a dream come true. I've been coveting prAna clothing since I started climbing.

For those of you who want to keep tabs on this new beginning in the book of Sarah's Life, or just learn more about what we do, then check out the Sasso Vertical Sales Facebook page. I've been officially titled as Chief Facebook Manager (CFM). Get ready Facebook!

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About Me

I have a penchant for wanderlust that has been fueled by my nearly twelve-year dedication to the sport of rock climbing. I am driven to push my limits climbing, whether it be plastic holds at the small climbing gym in my hometown of Squamish, BC, granite boulders scattered throughout the forest, steep limestone cliffs, or 1000 metre tall granite towers.

I can be counted among those that “work to live”, not the other way around. My biggest fear in life, outside of falling into a crevasse, is fear of regret. In my circle of friends this is often called FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and FOMO has taken me many amazing places. Though I struggle to see why, some have expressed interest in staying current on where “running from regret” takes me.

So without further adieu I would like to introduce, “As It Happens – the wanderings and musing of Sarah Hart”. I hope you enjoy it…